1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a digitizer module, a waveform generating module, a converting method, a waveform generating method and a recording medium for recording a program thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a digitizer module for converting a pair of analog signals into a pair of digital signals with equal sample timing, a waveform generating module for outputting a pair of synchronous analog signals and a program and a method of process thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
As known in the art, with regard to a digitizer module for sampling a pair of analog signals such as quadrature modulated signals to be synchronized each other, there has been a problem that if sampling timings of a pair of AD converters sampling a pair of analog signals do not match each other, quality of observed signals is lowered due to an impairment of orthogonality regarding a result of measuring the two analog signals originally in quadrature.
And also, with regard to a waveform generating module for converting a pair of digital signals to be synchronized each other into analog signals respectively and outputting the signals, if converting timings of a pair of DA converters converting a pair of digital signals into a pair of analog signals respectively do not match each other, quality of outputted signals is lowered due to a phase difference between a pair of analog signals, which are originally synchronized.
In order to prevent the impairment of quality of signal due to the previous problems, an equal-length routing has been used with respect to a clock signal of a pair of DA converters or a pair of AD converters.
The difference of sample timing or converting timing previously described also results from differences between characteristics of AD converters or DA converters and circuits or routing on other signal trace. Consequently, in order to achieve a digitizer module or a waveform generating module with higher precision, it is desirable to prevent the impairment of quality of signal due to these causes, as well as an equal-length routing with respect to a clock signal.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a digitizer module, a waveform generating module, a converting method, a waveform generating method and a recording medium for recording a program thereof, which are capable of solving the problems above. The above and other objects can be achieved by combinations described in the independent claims. The dependent claims define further advantageous and exemplary combinations of the present invention.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a digitizer module for converting a pair of analog signals into a pair of digital signals with equal sample timing, comprises an AD converter for sampling the pair of analog signals at a predetermined time interval and converting into a first and second digital signals respectively, a second signal frequency component calculating unit for calculating a second signal frequency component representing a component of each frequency of the second digital signal on the basis of the second digital signal, a skew frequency component calculating unit for calculating a skew frequency component representing a phase error of each frequency of the second digital signal corresponding to the first digital signal on the basis of a skew of a timing with which the pair of analog signals are sampled by the AD converter and a second signal frequency component correcting unit for correcting the second signal frequency component on the basis of the skew frequency component.
A digitizer module may further comprise a corrected second signal calculating unit for calculating the second digital signal on which the skew has been corrected on the basis of the second signal frequency component, which is corrected.
The second signal frequency component calculating unit may calculate the second signal frequency component by performing a discrete Fourier-transform on the second digital signal, the skew frequency component calculating unit may calculate a correcting function in a frequency domain for correcting the skew with the skew frequency component and the second signal frequency component correcting unit may correct the second signal frequency component by multiplying the second signal frequency component by the correcting function in the frequency domain.
A digitizer module may further comprise a first signal frequency component calculating unit for calculating a first signal frequency component representing a component of each frequency of the first digital signal on the basis of the first digital signal, wherein the second signal frequency component correcting unit may correct the second signal frequency component on the basis of the skew frequency component and the first signal frequency component.
A digitizer module may further comprise a second signal frequency component calculating unit for calculating a first signal frequency component representing a component of each frequency of the first digital signal on the basis of the first digital signal and a first signal frequency component correcting unit for correcting the first signal frequency component on the basis of the skew frequency component.
A digitizer may further comprise a skew measuring unit for measuring the skew on the basis of an amount of a phase difference between the first and second digital signals, in case a same signal as the pair of analog signals is inputted to the AD converter.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, a digitizer module for converting a pair of analog signals into a pair of digital signals with equal sample timing, comprises an AD converter for sampling the pair of analog signals at a predetermined time interval and converting into a first and a second digital signals, a first digital filter for generating a first converted signal into which the first digital signal is converted on the basis of a predetermined filter coefficient, a correcting filter coefficient generator for generating a correcting filter coefficient correcting a skew, besides a waveform of an impulse response of the correcting filter coefficient is same as the first digital filter, on the basis of the skew of a timing with which the pair of analog signals are sampled by the AD converter and a predetermined filter coefficient and a second digital filter for converting the second digital signal on the basis of the correcting filter coefficient and generating a second converted signal on which the skew is corrected.
The correcting filter coefficient generator may make the correcting filter coefficient be h(kxc2x7Txe2x88x92xcfx84), in case the predetermined filter coefficient is h(kxc2x7T) and the skew is xcfx84, where the first digital filter has at least two the predetermined filter coefficient, k denotes an integer in a range of zero to a number one less than the number of the predetermined filter coefficient and T denotes a sampling interval of the AD converter.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, a waveform generating module for outputting a pair of synchronous analog signals, comprises a first digital signal calculating unit for generating a first digital signal on the basis of a first signal frequency component representing a component of each frequency of a first analog signal, which the waveform generating module should output, a second digital signal calculating unit for generating a second digital signal on the basis of a second signal frequency component representing a component of each frequency of a second analog signal, which the waveform generating module should output, a DA converter for converting the first and second digital signals into the first and second analog signals at a predetermined time interval respectively, a skew frequency component calculating unit for calculating a skew frequency component representing a phase error of each frequency of the second analog signal corresponding to the first analog signal, on the basis of a skew of a timing with which the first and second digital signals are converted by the DA converter and a second signal frequency component correcting unit for correcting the second signal frequency component used for generating the second digital signal by the second digital signal calculating unit on the basis of the skew frequency component.
The skew frequency component calculating unit may calculate a correcting function in a frequency domain for correcting the skew with the skew frequency component, the second signal frequency component correcting unit may correct the second signal frequency component by multiplying the second signal frequency component by the correcting function in the frequency domain and the second digital signal calculating unit may generate the second digital signal by performing an inverse discrete Fourier-transform on the second signal frequency component corrected by the second signal frequency component correcting unit.
The second signal frequency component correcting unit may correct the second signal frequency component used for generating the second digital signal by the second digital signals calculating unit, on the basis of the skew frequency component and the first signal frequency component.
A waveform generating module may further comprise a first signal frequency component correcting unit for correcting the first signal frequency component used for generating the first digital signal by the first digital signal calculating unit, on the basis of the skew frequency component.
A waveform generating module may further comprise a skew measuring unit for measuring the skew on the basis of an amount of a phase difference between the first and second analog signals, in case a same signal as the first and second digital signals is inputted to the DA converter.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a waveform generating module for outputting a pair of synchronous analog signals, comprises a first digital filter for generating a first converted signal into which a first digital signal, which represents a signal value of a first analog signal to be outputted, is converted on the basis of a first filter coefficient, a second digital filter for generating a second converted signal into which a second digital signal, which represents a signal value of a second analog signal to be outputted, is converted on the basis of a second filter coefficient, a DA converter for converting the first and second digital signals into the first and second analog signals at a predetermined time interval respectively and a correcting filter coefficient generator for generating the second filter coefficient correcting a skew, besides a waveform of an impulse response of the correcting filter coefficient is same as the first digital filter, on the basis of the skew of a timing with which the DA converter converts the first and second digital signals into the first and second analog signals and the first filter coefficient.
The correcting filter coefficient generator may make the second filter coefficient be h(kxc2x7Txe2x88x92xcfx84), in case the first filter coefficient is h(kxc2x7T) and the converting timing error is xcfx84, where the first digital filter has at least two the first filter coefficient, k denotes an integer in a range of zero to a number one less than the number of the first filter coefficient and T denotes a converting interval of the DA converter.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a recording medium for recording a program used for a digitizer module converting a pair of analog signals into a pair of digital signals with equal sample timing is provided, wherein the digitizer module comprises an AD converter for sampling the pair of analog signals at a predetermined time interval and converting the pair of analog signals into a first and second digital signals, and the program allows the digitizer module to function with a second signal frequency component calculating unit for calculating a second signal frequency component representing a component of each frequency of the second digital signal on the basis of the second digital signal, a skew frequency component calculating unit for calculating a skew frequency component representing a phase error of each frequency of the second digital signal corresponding to the first digital signal, on the basis of the skew of a timing with which the pair of analog signals are sampled by the AD converter and a second signal frequency component correcting unit for correcting the second signal frequency component on the basis of the skew frequency component.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a converting method for converting a pair of analog signals into a pair of digital signals with equal sample timing, comprises the steps of sampling the pair of analog signals at a predetermined time interval and converting the pair of analog signals into a first and second digital signals respectively, calculating a second signal frequency component representing a component of each frequency of the second digital signal on the basis of the second digital signal, calculating a skew frequency component representing a phase error of each frequency of the second digital signal corresponding to the first digital signal, on the basis of the skew of a timing with which the pair of analog signals are sampled during the step of sampling and converting and correcting the second signal frequency component on the basis of the skew frequency component.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, a recording medium for recording a program used for a digitizer module converting a pair of analog signals into a pair of digital signals with equal sample timing is provided, wherein the digitizer module comprises an AD converter for sampling the pair of analog signals at a predetermined time interval and converting the pair of analog signals into a first and second digital signals, and the program allows the digitizer module to function with a first digital filter for generating a first converted signal into which the first digital signal is converted on the basis of a predetermined filter coefficient a correcting filter coefficient generator for generating a correcting filter coefficient correcting a skew, besides a waveform of an impulse response of the correcting filter coefficient is same as the first digital filter, on the basis of the skew of a timing with which the first and second analog signals are converted by the AD converter and the predetermined filter coefficient and a second digital filter for converting the second digital signal on the basis of the correcting filter coefficient and generating a second converted signal on which the skew is corrected.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, a converting method for converting a pair of analog signals into a pair of digital signals with equal sample timing, comprises the steps of sampling the pair of analog signals at a predetermined time interval and converting the pair of analog signals into a first and second digital signals respectively, generating a first converted signal into which the first digital signal is converted on the basis of a predetermined filter coefficient, generating a correcting filter coefficient correcting a skew, besides a waveform of an impulse response of the correcting filter coefficient is same as the step of generating the first converted signal, on the basis of the skew of a timing with which the first and second analog signals are converted by the AD converter and the predetermined filter coefficient and converting the second digital signal on the basis of the correcting filter coefficient and generating a second converted signal on which the skew is corrected.
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, a recording medium for recording a program used for a waveform generating module outputting a pair of synchronous analog signals is provided, wherein the waveform generating module comprises a DA converter for converting a first and second digital signals into a first and second analog signals at a predetermined time interval respectively, and the program allows the waveform generating module to function with a first digital signal calculating unit for generating the first digital signal on the basis of a first signal frequency component representing a component of each frequency of the first analog signal, which should be outputted by the waveform generating module a second digital signal calculating unit for generating the second digital signal on the basis of a second signal frequency component representing a component of each frequency of the second analog signal, which should be outputted by the waveform generating module a skew frequency component calculating unit for calculating a skew frequency component representing a phase error of each frequency of the second analog signal corresponding to the first analog signal, on the basis of the skew of a timing with which the first and second digital signals are converted by the DA converter and a second signal frequency component correcting unit for correcting the second signal frequency component used for generating the second digital signal by the second digital signal calculating unit, on the basis of the skew frequency component.
According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, a waveform generating method for outputting a pair of synchronous analog signals, comprises the steps of generating a first digital signal on the basis of a first signal frequency component representing a component of each frequency of a first analog signal, which should be outputted, generating a second digital signal on the basis of a second signal frequency component representing a component of each frequency of a second analog signal, which should be outputted, converting the first and second digital signals into the first and second analog signals at a predetermined time interval respectively, calculating a skew frequency component representing a phase error of each frequency of the second analog signal corresponding to the first analog signal, on the basis of a skew of a timing with which the first and second digital signals are converted during the step of converting and correcting the second signal frequency component used for generating the second digital signal during the step of generating the second digital signal, on the basis of the skew frequency component.
According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, a recording medium for recording a program used for a waveform generating module outputting a pair of synchronous analog signals is provided, wherein the waveform generating module comprises a DA converter for converting a first and second digital signals into a first and second analog signals at a predetermined time interval respectively, and the program allows the waveform generating module to function with a first digital filter for generating a first converted signal into which a first digital signal, which represents a signal value of the first analog signal to be outputted, is converted on the basis of a first filter coefficient, a second digital filter for generating a second converted signal into which a second digital signal, which represents a signal value of the second analog signal to be outputted, is converted on the basis of a second filter coefficient and a correcting filter coefficient generator for generating the second filter coefficient correcting a skew, besides a waveform of an impulse response of the correcting filter coefficient is same as the first digital filter, on the basis of the skew of a timing with which the first and second digital signals converted into the first and second analog signals by the DA converter and the first filter coefficient.
According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, a waveform generating method for outputting a pair of synchronous analog signals, comprises the steps of generating a first converted signal into which a first digital signal, which represents a signal value of a first analog signal to be outputted, is converted on the basis of a first filter coefficient, generating a second converted signal into which a second digital signal, which represents a signal value of a second analog signal to be outputted, is converted on the basis of a second filter coefficient, converting the first and second digital signals into the first and second analog signals at a predetermined time interval respectively and generating the second filter coefficient correcting a skew, besides a waveform of an impulse response of the second filter coefficient is same as the first digital filter, on the basis of the skew of a timing with which the first and second digital signals converted into the first and second analog signals during the step of converting and the first filter coefficient.
The summary of the invention does not necessarily describe all necessary features of the present invention. The present invention may also be a sub-combination of the features described above. The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.